1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a conversion set for a tube bundle heat exchanger having a cylindrical housing.
2. Description of Related Art
Tube bundle heat exchangers are often used in process plants in industry. A tube bundle heat exchanger normally consists of an outer jacket or an outer housing and a tube bundle located in the interior, i.e., arranged in the housing. The exchange of the process heat takes place between these two separate components. The heat from a first hot heat transfer medium is absorbed by a second heat transfer medium which is to be heated up, by means of which the energy transfer is realised. Tube bundle heat exchangers are very strong and can therefore be used for applications with high pressures, for example in hydrogenation plants in which a pressure of over 300 bar may prevail. The pressure differences arising with these applications and occurring between the heat transfer medium flowing in the housing and the second heat transfer medium which flows in the tubes previously only permitted the use of tube bundle heat exchangers.
A disadvantage with tube bundle heat exchangers is that due to the laminar flow in the tubes and the relatively thick tube walls, which may be 2 to 3 mm thick, only low heat transmission coefficients and thus a low efficiency of the tube bundle heat exchangers can be achieved. Consequently, large heat exchange surface areas are needed leading to relatively large tube bundle heat exchangers which are heavy and therefore also very expensive. In addition, the energy costs of the plants increase due to the incomplete heat transfer from the hot heat transfer medium to the heat transfer medium to be heated up.
Therefore, the object of the invention is to convert existing tube bundle heat exchangers such that the above disadvantages are avoided and an improved heat transfer and large heat exchange surface areas are facilitated at low costs, whereby these converted heat exchangers are also to be used in the high pressure range, i.e., at pressures over 300 bar.